A Thousand Days, A Thousand Nights
by pokemypoke
Summary: It was a detour that she wasn't prepared for. A detour that changed Hilda. A detour that fed the lion the lamb. "I've been on an adventure with a fallen prince for five years. How was your half of the decade, Bianca?" Spoilers for Black2/White2. Language. Various pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** HIGH-HO BW2 SPOILERS AHEAD! ABANDON ALL SURPRISE YE WHO ENTER HERE!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon, Black and White, or Black 2 and White 2 or any of the characters therein.

* * *

For a single moment, Hazel held her finger on the silver knob just a second longer than she should have. Blinking at the cool, sleek texture, she released the pressure and allowed the dryer to hum into life. She shuffled one, two, three steps to the clothes basket lying empty on the floor. A forgotten white sheet lay in the basket and Hazel frowned. The bed sheets were changed the first Monday of each month. She had eaten the sandwich…no…no the rice balls the night before.

Rice balls were reserved for Wednesdays.

Letting out a small "hmph," she threw the sheet on top of the dryer and kicked the basket aside to make her way into the kitchen. A plate, a fork, and a cup sat neatly beside the sneeringly sparkling sink. She brought the glass cup up to eye level and inspected it. A small ring lined the bottom and she frowned, settling it beside the plate again.

"Washing dishes every morning," she muttered to herself while flicking the warm water on and letting her right hand be consumed by the miniature waterfall. "Black ring…a soda…sodas on Friday, Saturday, Sunday…argh! I must be tired…I must be…"

She no longer knew what she must be, nor did she have the energy to care. There was a calendar on the fridge to her right but she had more sense than to look. Hilda had adored the Snivy in the picture with his "snazzy" glasses and his "adorable" beach chair. If Cheren or Bianca's parents ever noticed that it was five years out of date, they never made it known. They were far too busy attempting to lull her into meaningless activities. Dances. Reading Clubs. Dates.

Their children called every week. Their lives were not halted in the past. Their sympathy, while sincere, could not sway her belief that her daughter would return one day in need of her mother and her home and her childhood bed.

A bed. Did her daughter even have one now? Did she sleep in a Pokemon Center in some far off region where the phone lines were scarce and the days ran by too fast?

Bianca didn't know. "Ohhhhhhh…Mrs. White, let me help you with that! I learned a thing or two out on my journey with Hil-with Cheren! Cheren! That stuffy Shelmet. Ohhhhh! Ow, ow, ow! Mrs. White…how do I get this tiny thread through this pointy side? Ohhhhhhh! It goes in this hole? Wait! Wait! I'm supposed to be helping you! Mrs. White! Let me sew her…YOUR shirt!"

Cheren didn't seem care. "I am sure that she will return safely, Mrs. White. I'll let you know if she challenges me at my gym. Have I mentioned my gym? I get_ so_ many challenges a week. The last challenger…oh yes. I put up that poster of Hilda. Oh…Mrs. White. Where…where are your tissues now? I'll…I'll go get them for you."

Hilbert didn't listen. "Yeah. I'm fine. No. I'm still in Nimbasa City. You know…where I've been for_ years_, Mom? I was so close to Emmet this time…no, Mom, I'm sure I haven't seen sis. I fought this jerk with his…no. No. Are you listening to me? Mom. Mom. Seriously. You make me call you every day and it's just…it's tiring, Mom. What? No! I do care about sis! Good gods, Mom. Let her live her life. She's on a journey. And…and so am I. So can…can I go now?"

But Rosa…Rosa…

"I'll wash these dishes for you Mrs Whi-I mean Miss Hazel! Sorry. I'm used to saying last names. It all got so confusing with the Joys at Mom's work…please. Just kick back and relax. I'll tell you about my last battle with N."

N.

The plate in her hand slipped into the water with a slosh and she hurriedly picked it up with a furrow in her brow. Rosa visited every Friday every two weeks without fail. And without fail the conversation turned to him. His battles with her and his words. N. Her last link to her daughter. The one that put the scowl on Hilda's face and a determined look in her eyes as if trying to figure out some mathematical formula that she could never quite understand. Almost, at times, after she had won the battles. But not…quite.

_Yeah…yeah…we just listened to the _weirdest_ speech, Mom. And then this guy came up to us and…what? No! I mean…he was just a run-of-the-mill trainer, Mom! No Cheren wasn't jealous. Yes I'm sure. His name was N. N. Like…the letter. Yeah, I know, they must have been drunk during the delivery. He was kind of strange to be honest. Ugh…green. It was bushy. He was really thin. Like a walking broccoli stick. Can we talk about my Audino I just caught? She's soft and sweet and…I didn't look at his butt, Mom! Gross!_

_Yeah! Leonora was so tough, Mom! And…and I saw that guy again. No. Not that one. Uh uh. What? I never mentioned anyone looking delicious…please stop guessing. N. N, Mom. We had another battle…he's…well I think he's a little retarded. Mom! I'm not being serious! Please don't yell at me! I know that term is ugly. I'm sorry! He's just…very...excited about his future. He's a trainer as far as I can tell. Gah! I don't know, Mom! I just battled the guy! I didn't ask for his social! Now you're just being ridiculous. No! Mom. I am NOT…fine. Fine. I'll ask him if his parents are doctors and estrange myself from him and functioning society all together over your weird matchmaking fetish. JOKING! But…he does want to be friends. I think._

_[19:31:21 Today] Amusement park in Nimbasa w/ N. Details later on battles. Taking ferriswheel._

_[19:31:49 Today] NOT a date_

_Hi, Mom. I received your messages. So not a date. Not even close. Call me when you can. I'm fine. Just…just feeling foolish for not realizing...let's just say N's parents are definitely NOT doctors. I'll fill you in. Love you._

_Hi, Mom. I'll call you later. N has ninjas. I….GRR! Bye!_

…_he can talk to Pokemon. I'm serious. I always thought it was a joke. He found out where I live. Get the locks changed. I'm totally serious. I don't know how that will help! It'll just make me feel safer! Mom! No! You don't need to move. Please don't move. Nuvema means everything to me…it gave me Serperior. Mom, I'll come back soon. Just…just stay safe. I will. I promise._

_Mom! Come on! I didn't choose any of this! I…I have to do this. For everyone. A world without Pokemon by our sides is not a world that I can live in. I can't even…look, I've got what I needed. I'm going to take him down. I'm going to challenge the League and…Mom. I can't come home now. I…I'll be there soon. Promise. I have to go. I have to train._

_It's over, Mom. We're all safe. I just…I just have a few things that I have to do. Hm? No…he's gone. He's just gone. I don't know where. I don't care. I'm going to take a nap before leaving. I love you too._

Hazel had climbed into bed with her daughter. Cradled her head against her neck until the soft breaths brushed against her ear. Ran her fingers through hair that was still slick and greasy after several showers. She awoke alone with her xtransceiver in her hand blinking with a single message.

_I'll be back soon. I promise._

Wrinkled by water, her thumb skid across the glass's mouth and through a drop of cold water. Cold. It should have been hot. Hot like Hilda's temper. She would give her life just to hear her own daughter bicker with Hilbert again. She would sit at her Wii with Cheren and Bianca and Hilbert flanking her sides and throw the controller when she lost a game. She'd sit outside in a huff with the lemonade in her hand turning hot and the dirt beneath her feet popping up like licks of lava as she jerked a sweaty leg. Hazel missed the passion in her daughter's eyes whenever she fought…whenever she saw Snivy…whenever she spoke of saving Unova from Team Plasma.

But now Unova had been saved twice over. Now was the time to come home.

Hazel turned to glance at the door with its sun rays peeking in as if to ask her outside. She took in a ragged breath, regained focus, and turned to finish her dishes. The Castform Channel said it was supposed to rain on Thursday. Was that last Thursday? Her palms leaned all her weight onto the mouth of the sink. Perhaps she should lie down. She always laid down after lunch and though it was only a little past nine – that much she could be sure of – she was unimaginably exhausted to her very bones. Perhaps she hadn't slept well last night? She could not recall. It was a struggle remembering when she had gotten out of bed.

The towel glided across the plate, the glass, the fork, and her chilled hands. She set the dishes on the counter and threw the towel in the basket before heading to the cabinets with her newly dried glass. It went in mouth down with the others. Then the fork, face down, handle out. Then the…

The knock at the door did not startle her. Friday. It must have been Friday.

"Come in!"

The door opened and the squeaking of running shoes confirmed her suspicion. She picked up the plate and turned it one way and then another.

"Good morning, Rosa. I wasn't expecting you this early."

Silence. That was strange. Hazel stood there a moment with the plate stiff in her hands and her eyebrows knit.

"Rosa…"

"Mom."

Hazel turned so fast that her legs twisted and bowed like an old tree and she fell to the floor with the shatter of the plate. The swirl of brown clouded her mind. The long legs rushed toward her, the sound of boots popping against the floor.

"Mom!"

Hilda. Hilda. _Hilda._

"Augh!"

"Mom! Mom, it's okay! Here…just…just sit up for me," said Hilda, dropping to her knees so suddenly that a shard of plate stuck against her leg like a tattoo.

"Hilda!" she cried, grabbing her daughter's face – round, real, right – and running those same fingers over those foreign cheeks. "Hilda! My Hilda! Oh gods…you're here. You're here. You're…you're here."

It was as though her vocabulary was limited to that of a child. _Hilda. Here. Gods. Hilda. Here. Back. Baby. Here. Now. Hilda. Here. Here. Here._

"Mom. Mom, it's okay. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She was the same and yet so different. Her cap, her vest, her shorts that were far too short for any time of the year…everything was as if she had just went to the Pokemon Center and returned after her nap. Her long hair was in its thick ponytail and those same blue eyes looked down at her.

And yet…in those eyes…those precious eyes of her baby girl…something was missing.

"Hilda…Hilda, what hap…no. No. you don't have to tell me. All that matters is that you're here. Oh, Hilda."

They pulled one another in for yet another hug and when warmth burst against Hazel's shoulder through her dress, her mind grew fuzzy and strained.

"Hilda…Hillda…are…are you _crying_?"

The sound was blasphemous. She could count on one hand how many times Hilda had cried openly in front of her. Her Hilbert could fill oceans of Unova at the prick of a pin, the death of his favorite character in a movie, the smell of bacon. Hilda…was Hilda.

Hilda was here.

"Darling…darling…whatever is wrong?" She relished the chance to regain her ability to comfort instead of being comforted. "Hilda you need your rest."

"No!" The voice was choked yet stern, belying the tears now freely falling along her cheeks. "No. I need to tell you…I need to tell you everything. Where I've been for the past five years…what…what I've done…"

Hazel shook her head and cupped her daughter's cheek. "Later. We can worry about it later. We have to get you a good bath…some fresh clothes…my gods…you are practically a woman now…"

She did not respond.

"Hilda…if there is something that you feel that you need to tell me…"

"The last five years…" Hazel's heart clenched. Her senses heighted. The smell of grass from her daughter's hair. The sound of the dryer churning. The taste of morning in her mouth. The feel of cuts on Hilda's precious white hands from the broken plate.

The wait grew unbearable. "Yes?"

Biting her lower lip and hanging her head, Hilda swallowed. "The last five years…I've been with N."

Hazel blinked. "Wha…"

"It's…it's a long story."

* * *

**A/N:** This was meant to be a one-shot, but after reading Eden by Hope Estheim, my muse called me again. You'd have to be living under a Crustle not to have read Eden…but in the off chance that you haven't, GO NOW. NO EXCUSES. NOW. It's...it's glorious.

I will be updating this piece every Sunday regularly. I will also be listing a number on my profile. That number is the amount of words that I have written on a novel that I am working on. "Okay. Good for you. …?" I need to be held responsible for writing more to finish it. I thought that pulling myself from fanfiction would accomplish this. It only added to the burden. So you all will keep me in line. Writing this…I feel better already. Much better than I have in months.

So I thought that I would write this out of fun. It is a whole new world to me, something that I thank Working-On-Sanity for. She claims that I helped her move out of her comfort zone. Here is mine. Rocketshipping is my OTP…but I have always thought the idea of N and Hilda together would be cute. But I can't. Write. N. For. Crap. And their relationship is difficult to build up to, despite N's W2 comments giving me something to think about. This will have spoilers for the game, so just keep this in mind. Hopefully the warning at the beginning told you. It will only be heavier from here.

Constructive criticism is adored. I'm using the name Hilda. That's not really optional. I actually like the name and hate "Rosa" for Mei. XD But your opinion - on what little is here - is highly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Decided to post this early in case of complications. And because the prologue is a big bag of blah. Input appreciated.

**Edit:** Thank you for your input, Pineapple! Your name is delicious and your words are true. I am very dramatic in my writing. Thank you for the first review!

* * *

_Five Years Ago_

The day was young and the streets were hot with feet of giggling girls and beaming boys. Hilda sat outside Claire's Casteliacone Café with her legs crossed and the hand that was free from a cone clasping the single Pokeball at her hip. It seemed hot to the touch and she shook her head. Serperior sulking over her disuse in a rematch against Burgh had to be one of the brightest of joys that she had experienced lately among the congratulatory fans and the eager reporters bombarding her from every angle. With the rest of her pokemon healing, she had decided to bring the snake pokemon for a treat to make up for hurt feelings.

And then he had shown up and thrown an Aipom wrench in her plans.

Hilda licked her casteliacone in silence as she stared at the boy across the way. Smacking her lips, she scrunched her face and shivered as a particularly terrible case of brain freeze took over her head. Pinching one eye close and the other open, she shook her head hurriedly while tapping her foot against the concrete. Her open eye watched and watched, slightly curious and slightly horrified.

Yep. It was definitely N.

Only a month had passed since he had took his Zekrom off into the clouds and left her standing rather awkwardly in his shattered castle. Yet there he was green hair and all harassing a poor worker out of her wits. There he was as if he showed up every day to destroy her plans and remind her of those horrible months of worry about the entire nation – _the whole freaking world_ – having its safety resting on her lithe shoulders. Was it all some type of joke? Was it all some vicious cycle? _What was he doing here?_

"Vanillite!" N said, grabbing the young girl dressed in an oversized Vanillite costume and undersized bulging, fearful eyes. "You must listen to me! I know that humans have pained you! But you must not eat them, my friend!"

"Uhhh…" said the girl, nearly doubling back into the busy streets. "Sir…sir, if you would just calm down!"

For a moment, Hilda thought he would have a conniption. "Sir! _SIR?_ I am no sir, Vanillite! I am N! I am your friend! You must take me to your trainer at once!"

Having successfully recovered from her brain freezing itself raw, Hilda giggled. N's face was full of serious concern, his Rubik's cub – _Menger sponge, Hilda. Gods he was pissed at that _– shaking angrily at his hip as he stamped his feet like a child.

"My…my trainer?" The girl sniffled. "You…you mean my boss! Yes! Yes! BOSS!"

Though the line was relatively slow for a Tuesday, it took a gentleman of around Hilda's mother's age a good while to squeeze by and hurriedly grab N by the arm.

Long enough for N to turn his head in Hilda's direction. Long enough for Hilda to shoot her lower body beneath the café table only to smack her bum against the edge of her chair. Glancing up, she saw N's usual green shoes still pointing in her direction.

"Sir. I must ask you not to talk to my employees in such a manner," said the manager gruffly. "She is promoting our product. Nothing more."

Apparently grabbing her chance to flee the scene, the Vanillite shuffled by only to reveal those green sneakers closer than before. Hilda held in her breath.

"Sir! Sir! Ah whatever. I don't get paid enough for this…"

She duck her head to the ground, curling herself into her chest and praying, hoping, dreaming…

"Hilda?"

Jumping, Hilda slapped her head against the bottom of the table with a hiss. Opening her eyes, she saw N's angular face jutting from behind the beginning of the table's long legs. Frustration was still etched along his mouth, but his eyes soon bulged and his lips soon twitched into what she supposed was an attempt at a smile.

"Hilda! I thought that was your back retreating. Do you live here?" The calm from his face tightened. "Is that _your_ Vanillite?"

With the farewell he gave her, she was expecting their reunion to be years in the making. To be less anticlimactic, less random, and certainly less painful to her head and her bum.

"No, N. That…what are you doing here?"

He lifted his head, his mouth cocked open in excitement, only to slam his skull hard enough to slide his hat over his eyes. "Augh!" She snorted, watching him flail about before taking a hand to adjust the cap back properly.

The smile he gave her was that of a boy with his first casteliacone. Lord. Her mother expected her to _date_ this buffoon? She'd probably be stuck changing his diapers.

"How about we take this topside?" she offered. She did not await his answer but simply shifted and stood, cracking her back and sighing. N was up in a flash, necklace clanking against the table and hat slightly crooked.

His eagerness was back on like the switch of a light. "I am here making friends! What luck to run into an old friend when making new ones!"

"But the new region, N. Everyone has been talking about a black dragon flying overhead. I thought that you left after…after our battle."

He nodded, suddenly sad. "My friend Zekrom took me across the sea…we…we had difficulty making friends there." He paused and she was grateful. Attempting to keep up with his voice was like chasing a runaway train. Never mind his thoughts which had him grinning again. "So I came back. I need your help."

She tilted her head, half her mind consumed with the delicious, melting casteliacone on the table and the other half wondering where all the tension between her and her former enemy had gone. "You said that you had some thinking to do. You wanted to test your ideals. What do you want?" She scrunched her nose. "Is it another battle?"

As if by instinct, the Pokeball at her side jiggled excitedly.

N shook his head in that haughty, foolish way of his. "No, no. I do not have any Pokemon in my possession. Battling you now would-"

"WHAT!?" she shouted, slamming her hand into a glop of vanilla ice cream. "You released Zekrom!?"

"You are much too loud, Hilda. You will scare off that dear Pidove there," said N, motioning behind her.

She didn't look. Her lips fell to a line lacking any amusement.

"N. Focus. Zekrom."

"My friend is playing with another friend. But that is not important now." He placed his spindly fingers onto the glass table top and leaned forward, eager. "Hilda, I must ask for your assistance in my mission for friendship. As the true hero of Unova, you must assist me so that I may understand."

There he went again. Babbling on and on and leaving her mind in a tangled weave.

"Whoa…wha…whoa there, buddy," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "N. I don't _have_ to do anything for you, okay? And I still don't get why you're here. You certainly didn't try very hard to make friends if you're here after a month."

His face fell, pouting and pitiful. Yet she noticed how his eyes kept darting behind her. Serperior scales. This boy was no less of a mess than ever.

"But I did try! I tried so hard to make friends! I-"

"Where did you go?"

"I tried and tried and the Pokemon…well they are always nice and kind and pure. I knew that they would be. But the people…they would say such horrible things to me and-"

"Where?"

"And they'd call me strange names. Call me things and laugh. I know they were not kind because they said the same words as Ghetsis did although they were not as malicious. Why would they do that, Hilda? Why would they call me names without knowing me? Did you call me names before knowing me? I didn't call you names before I knew you. I still don't. I even discouraged my friend Zoroark from calling you a wrench. Zoroark couldn't think that you were a machine, after all. It was strange. Just like their words."

Slow down…slow down…Wrench? WENCH? She fumed. "Where. Did. You. Go?"

"Words like freak…I heard that a lot. And weirdo. And loser. And creepy. And stall keeper. That was the strangest one of all. I thought the girl was my friend. I thought that friends were supposed to spend lots and lots of time together. But her other friend did not like that we were friends. He was very upset to find me waiting for my friend on her porch. So he called me a stall keeper. Yet I kept no stalls. What is a stall keeper, Hilda? And a pedo. I must know. You must tell me. We must-"

"WHHHHHEEEERRRRREEEEEEE, NNNNNNNNNNN?"

Several patrons turned to eye her wearily while N merely tilted his large head.

"After you defeated my ideals, I had to discover myself again," he said simply, as if her outburst was merely another pleasantry in their conversation. Their strange, strange conversation. "So I went to the region of Kanto."

She hoped the conversation wouldn't last much longer. He may have been insane and awkward and too smart for his own good, but all this casual mention of their battle had her feeling ashamed for feeling so uncomfortable. Did it even register that she had wiped the floor with him? Was he angry? Would he start yelling gibberish at her and try to change her mind yet again?

"Kanto," she said simply. "I think Bianca knows someone from that region. What was it like?"

"Have you been listening?" he said rather bluntly. He did not continue. She frowned.

"Well…yeah."

He blinked and blinked again. Even his blinks went too fast.

"So…"

"You must teach me how friends act toward one another! I require further friend training before setting out on my journey."

It was her turn to blink and stare at him stupidly. "Friend…training?"

He nodded. She stared. He grinned like an idiot. "I must train so that I may make more friends and learn more truths. But then I realized that I had yet to learn all of _your_ truths. So I returned."

"Without Zekrom. The legendary death dragon that you just casually set free upon the world," she said, frowning.

"My friend is with another friend. Please do not worry, Hilda," he said, reaching out a hand and patting her forehead clumsily. She stiffened. She was suddenly reminded of his room in the castle and wondered just how many psychologists would jump at the chance to study him. "Zekrom shall come to me when needed. My friend training is far more important. You must teach me what you know."

Slightly pushing her chair back, Hilda shook her head. "Once again, N, I don't HAVE to do anything. In fact, the only thing that I need to do is grab my Pokemon from the Pokemon Center."

"Pokemon Center?" he repeated dumbly. "Is this a place where they confine more Pokemon?"

"No…well…no. It's where we go to have them healed. You know…when they've been in a battle." She eyed him skeptically. "You…you never took your Pokemon to a Poke Center?"

Taking in a great breath, N shook his head. "No. But you must be speaking of the herbs." He nodded sagely. "You are not trained in friendships with Pokemon. Perhaps I can train you too."

No.

He.

Didn't.

"Excuse me?" she said, standing and hating the anger burning on her cheeks. "Well, _your Highness_, I like to let the professionals handle my Pokemon – my _friends_ – rather than giving them something and making things worse. Who knows what kind of herbs you are divvying out!"

"But it is so simple!" he claimed, standing and coming to her side just as soon as she turned to start walking. His footsteps echoed right behind her. Damn. "You just take the chemical compounds of one berry or leaf and then another and when you calculate the protons in the…"

Whirling around, she held out a hand to push against his chest to keep him from running into her. "Don't. Get. Nerdy on me." She paused and sighed. "These nurses have been healing Pokemon all their lives. They're good."

She thought the conversation was over. That perhaps he would follow her to the center to harass the Audino over wearing human hats. She had barely taken two steps when he spoke again.

"You are delusional."

The need to burst out laughing nearly killed her. "I'm…I'm…" She turned back around while willing herself not to sock his flat face into oblivion. "_I'm_ delusional?"

He nodded without reservation. "You need training! Oh, Hilda." Shake of the head. Dumb of the look. "I shall help you learn. And then you shall train me in the ways of friendship and we will evolve and expand to the region of Kanto yet again as stronger friends and trainers and _heroes_. That is my dream. Do you have a dream now too-"

It was the last bit of conversation she heard before she purposefully placed a handful of people between them and sashayed her way toward the Pokemon Center.

That was until he shouted for the whole of Unova to hear.

"Friend Hilda! Friend Hilda! HILDA! HILDA! HILDA!"

Her heart sizzled with the anger of a thousand ragging Bouffalant.

"Oh I am _so_ gonna kick your screeching, skinny ass."

After the Pokemon Center. It could wait until he saw the Pokemon Center.

The casteliacone on the forgotten table began to drip sugary drops onto her abandoned chair. The wrapping around the cone smiled happily at the sky and the Pidove pecking at its waffled skin.


End file.
